Monday, November 03, 2014

Another Vote for Change Likely in Midterm Elections - If Republicans Win Control of Senate, It Would Be Fourth Such Control Switch in Less Than a Decade

Odds are good that the U.S. midterm elections will mark the fourth time in less than a decade that voters oust a party from control of Congress or the White House, a remarkable period of instability that has left neither party with a firm grip on power.

“Traditionally in American history, politics is like a seesaw: When one side is up the other side is down,” said Peter Wehner, a former aide to President George W. Bush . “Now it’s as if the seesaw is broken: the public is distrustful of both parties.”

In 2010, intense tea-party anger about the economy and the new health-care law propelled Republicans into a House majority.

In 2006, matters of war and peace helped bring Democrats back to power in the House and Senate.

By contrast, the 2014 election campaign has been mostly tactical, negative and narrowly framed. Republicans ran against an unpopular lame-duck president; Democrats ran away from him. Voters overwhelmingly feel the country is on the wrong track, polls found, and seemed to be losing hope that either party has a plan to fix it.